The Greatest Generation
by Moochiecat
Summary: Gil reflects on his Father, and Memorial Day.


Summary: Gil reflects on his Father, and Memorial Day.

Genre: Family/slightest bit of GSR, a ficlet and a story for all who have served our country, and their loved ones.

Rating: E for Everyone

Disclaimer: I own nothing connected to the vast CSI empire. I has a sad. L

_The Greatest Generation_

In the backyard of his newly purchased 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 100 year old ranch house, Gil Grissom was grilling two real steaks and two tofu burgers for Memorial Day dinner. The aroma of the cooking T-Bones made even Sara's mouth water, committed vegetarian or not.

As Sara dries lettuce for the salad, Betty enters the kitchen holding an old cardboard box.

"What do you have there, Mom?" Sara asks/signs, as she relieves Betty of the box and sets it on a side counter.

Both signing and speaking, Betty answers, "Something for you and Gil to look at after dinner. Hesitating for a moment, she continues…"Photos. Photos I've never shown to Gil. I should have. I should have shared these with him when he was a boy. I… I hope he's not too upset with me when he sees them."

Giving her Mother-in-Law a hug, Sara signs, "Never, Mom. Don't you worry. Remember, your son thinks you are a Goddess." Betty snorts a bark of laughter. "Huh, more like 'She Who Must Be Obeyed!"

Laughing, Sara hands Betty a tray of condiments, picks up the salad and dressing, and they head into the screened porch to set up the table for dinner

After a great dinner, which ends with Betty's "not to be missed" Red Velvet cake, the Grissoms deal with cleaning up and dish duty. Once finished, they settle into the very comfortable sitting area of the screened porch. Betty has brought the cardboard box out and sets it on the coffee table in front of her.

Gil eyes it curiously. He's sitting next to Sara on the rattan two-seater sofa and he glances at her, questioningly. She merely smiles slightly and nods her head toward Betty.

Signing and speaking, Gil asks, "What do you have there, Mom?"

Betty gestures for Gil to take the box, which he does.

Slowly, gently, she gestures, "These are memories. Of another era in time, a different moment in history, a lifetime ago. They are precious to me. And I ask your forgiveness for not sharing them with you when I should have. I was selfish, Gilbert, and I kept these memories for myself. I used to look at the contents of the box every Memorial weekend; remembering what once was.

Betty stills her hands. Taking a breath, she goes on, "Now that another generation will be joining our family, the memories need to be passed on. Within your lifetimes, the last member of 'The Greatest Generation' will pass away. I ask you to teach your son or daughter that his/her Grandfather was one of them." These are his photos of the time when he defended this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic, as his oath demanded. Please look at them and share them with Sara. Look on the backs also, as many have notes on them."

Gazing reverently at the box, Gil removes the top and takes out a handful of photos.

A quick pass through them shows they're all in black and white, beginning to fade toward sepia brown. Gil immediately thinks to himself that he's going to have them all digitally restored and saved.

A slower process of review begins.

The first photo shows a handsome young man of perhaps 21 or 22, proudly grinning at the photographer, obviously so proud of his Marine Lieutenant's uniform and newly-minted "two-bar." He wears his officer's cap at a jaunty angle and there's a "bit of the devil" about him. It isn't too hard to see the resemblance between father and son. Gilbert Arthur Grissom, Jr., has the same dark, curly, hair; the same gorgeous blue eyes, the same cleft of the chin, as his Dad. (Several photos will also show the same bowed legs, too!)

Turning it over, Gil and Sara read the comments written almost

70 years ago. "Graduation Day, Officer Candidates School, Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, N.C., January 6, 1942. HOT DAMN, PAUL MCCONNELL AND I MADE IT!"

Looking over at his Mom, Gil signs, "Paul McConnell?"

"His very best friend in OCS. They wanted to be assigned together, but your Dad was assigned to EUTO, (European Theatre of Operations) and Paul went to the ETO (Eastern Theatre of Operation). Paul never recovered, emotionally, from the two years he spent as a Japanese Prisoner-of-War. He became a very quiet man."

"Your Dad was part of 'The Longest Day', the Normandy Invasion, June 4- to late July, 1944. He said riding in, huddled in the Higgins' boats, was the worst of it. Once they hit the beach at Utah, they were so overwhelmed by noise, explosions and sudden death, that they registered almost no fear. Of course, he'd been fighting in other war zones in the two years leading up to that."

Gil and Sara quietly peruse a large number of photos. Gil's eyebrows go up when they come to one. Smiling, he turns it toward his Mother. It's a photo of a very shy looking bride and groom, exiting a church and starting the traditional Marine march through raised swords. "Wedding day?," he signs.

Almost blushing, Betty signs/speaks, "Yes. We married in Jacksonville, N.C., June 4, 1942, just before he shipped out. My parents wanted us to wait. I was only 18 and they didn't want me to be a widow, before I was ever really a wife. But your Dad wanted me to be entitled to a Married Officer's base housing and access to his monthly pay. And… his life insurance policy, if the worst happened. And, as you've seen, viewing the photos and comments, the worst happened to so many of his friends and the men he commanded. We were two of the lucky ones. My love came home to me in 1946. And then, ten years later, when we had abandoned any hope of having children, came our greatest joy. Our son. You, Gil."

Sara tries to keep back the sheen of tears developing behind her eyes. _"Rats, damn pregnancy hormones. I cry at everything."_

Sniff.

"Sara, Gil, it's getting late," Betty gestures. "I would like you to keep the box as long as you wish. Look at all of them, think about them, cherish them. And tell my grandchild that Gilbert Arthur Grissom, Sr. was one of "The Greatest Generation. Oh, and show him/her the Medals. They're underneath the photos. I think they'll surprise you.

After pulling his Mother into a tender embrace and gentle kiss, Gil steps back and speaks/signs, "Our child will be taught. And we will ask that our child's child is taught. We must NOT, forget."

Sara sees Betty out to her car. "Mom, thank you. You have given Gil a tremendous gift; additional pride in his father. It isn't that he wasn't proud, but now he's even more proud."

Betty Grissom looks into the eyes of her beloved, pregnant, daughter-in-law, and says/signs: "As I am, of you both. I love you Sara, and I bless the day that you entered my son's life. Then, stealing a glance at Sara's growing 'baby bump,' she grins like a little gremlin, and signs, "Hey, the sexpots worked, didn't they?"

"_MOTHER!" _On that note, Betty disappears out the front door, leaving Gil and Sara to delve into more photos.

At 10 pm, Sara yawns and Gil proposes bed. "But first, let's toast my Dad, and all who have served this great country. Raising his scotch, he touches his glass to Sara's tonic water. "TO THEM ALL. WHEREVER AND WHENEVER THEY SERVED. MAY WE ALWAYS REMEMBER."

Author's Note: For all who have served. The Great-Grandfather in The Civil War. My father and mother in WWII. All the fraternal and maternal uncles in WWII. The Uncle and Father-in-Law in Korea. The cousins and Brother-in-Law in Vietnam. The nephew of my husband's dear friend that we lost in Iraq. On Monday, please stop for a few seconds and say a prayer for them all.


End file.
